12/24/2009 07:09:00 pm -
Reported by
Marcus

Russell T Davies has told The Guardian how he took Pop Idol as his inspiration for the rebirth of Doctor Who. He tells the paper how he used to go to a friend's house to watch the final with several others. He says "I wanted to do that with drama. If we could have the voice at the beginning of The X Factor introducing each episode I would do it."

In a somewhat different interview, Davies has caused controversy by voicing his concerns about the future of the BBC, should the Conservative Party win the 2010 General Election. Davies told The Mirror he fears the BBC will be dismantled by the Tories and is convinced that a move to freeze the licence fee by the Conservatives will be the beginning of the end for the corporation. "They'll dismantle it slowly. It'll get smaller and smaller until it just supports Radio 4 and some news. I'll come back and fight them at the barricades. I feel a bit like Alan Bennett, who said his favourite things about Britain were the BBC and the NHS." Davies's remarks were picked up by many UK papers, but not it seems in Conservative Central office. When journalist Matt Withers rang their press office for a statement he was told they wouldn't comment on it, because "Mr Davies is a backbench MP and, as such, his opinion isn't necessarily party policy".

Veteran actress June Whitfield has told The Sun of a particular problem she had while recording The End of Time, when the script called for her to goose David Tennant, "Well, he is so thin that it was difficult to find the bottom!" says Whitfield, 84. "But this was in the script, I promise."